[Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset (England). County Council.
Date:
1959
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/116 (page 9)
    NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE ACTS CARE OP MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN INTRODUCTION The growth of the County population, year by year, makes increas¬ ing demands on the personal health services, but the distribution of need shows variations as the age groups change. The proportion of elderly persons continues to rise and now the falling birth rate of the past few years is beginning to reverse and, as the “post-war bulge” leaves school and embarks on parenthood, wiU gain increasing momentum. These fact¬ ors in the next few years are bound to make increased demands on the domiciliary services provided in the County. Generally, the co-operation between the hospital services and the domiciliary services is very good, and excellent personal relationships exist. It is, however, necessary to point out one blemish in our mutual affairs; this concerns the discharge of patients from hospital without suf¬ ficient prior notice and instruction to those, general practioner and dis¬ trict nurse in particular, who will have the responsibility for their care and treatment in their own homes. This fault must be overcome, and steps are being taken to deal with it. TOTAL BIRTHS (7,791) , In spite of impressions to the contrary this number shows little change and only exceeds that for 1958 by 95. Rather unexpectedly the number of domiciliary births has increased and the proportion of domiciliary confinements has risen to 30.8 per cent (pre¬ viously 30 per cent). Out-county hospital births have risen from 874 to 883 so the County hospitals actually dealt with fourteen fewer births than last year. LIVE BIRTHS (7,636). The County rate of 15.26 compares with last year’s 15.17 and the national rate of 16.0. STILLBIRTHS (155) again show a slight decrease with two fewer than last year and a drop in the rate from 20.4 to 19,89, County domiciliary and institutional cases decreased but those in out-county hospitals rose by 15. The rate is still well below the national one of 21.0. An enquiry is carried out into all cases recorded and the findings are summarised and circulated to interested persons.